Experiential learning
Experiential learning is learning that comes from doing something and then reflecting on it, instead of only hearing or reading about it. David Kolb's 1984 model describes a four-stage cycle: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation.
In more detail
The cycle works like this. You do something (concrete experience), look back at what happened (reflective observation), pull out a general idea (abstract conceptualization) and try that idea in a new situation (active experimentation). The new attempt becomes the next experience. Kolb built on earlier work by Dewey, Lewin and Piaget.
The experience alone does not teach. A lab, an internship or a field trip only produces learning if you stop to ask what happened and why. Skip the reflection and you repeat the same mistake with more confidence. The reflection and concept steps are where the learning gets stored.
Do not confuse the cycle with Kolb's learning styles, four types such as diverging and converging. That questionnaire is much weaker and shares the lack of evidence of other style models. The cycle is the useful part, and it fits the ideas behind active learning and constructivism.
Kolb's cycle with one example
| Stage | What you do | Example: a chemistry lab |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete experience | Do the activity | Run a titration and overshoot the end point |
| Reflective observation | Review what happened | Notice you added the base too fast near the end |
| Abstract conceptualization | Form a general idea | Near the end point a tiny excess shifts the pH sharply, so go drop by drop |
| Active experimentation | Test it in a new attempt | Repeat the titration slowly and compare the result |
Example
Priya, a pharmacy student on placement, hands over a medicine without checking the label twice and catches the mistake just in time. That evening she writes down why it happened (rushing at closing time) and the rule she takes from it: two label checks, every time. Next week she tries the rule, and she uses it again in her exam case study.
How to use it
- 1
After any experience, write what happened in three lines.
- 2
Ask what went well, what did not and why.
- 3
Turn the answer into one rule or idea you can say in a sentence.
- 4
Test the rule in a new situation within a week.
- 5
Read or revise the theory behind it, so the rule connects to what you study.
How StudyPDF does this
StudyPDF helps with the conceptualization step. After a lab, a placement or a project, upload your notes, your report or the course reading, then use flashcards and a quiz to turn what you saw into concepts you can recall. The per-concept results, weakest first, show which ideas the experience did not teach yet.
See also
Common questions
What are the 4 stages of Kolb's experiential learning cycle?
Concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation. You do something, review it, form a general idea and test that idea in a new situation, which starts the cycle again.
What is an example of experiential learning?
A nursing student practices an injection on a simulator, watches the recording with a tutor, writes down what to change and tries again. Internships, labs, field trips, role play and service projects follow the same pattern when reflection is built in.
Put it to work on your own course
Upload your lectures and ask Bo. Cited answers, plus flashcards, exams, and more built from your material.